Wing radiator



May 17, 1938. Y l. I. SIKORSKY 2,117,632

- wine RADIATOR Filed Jan. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY I. I. SIKORSKY WING RADIATOR May 17, 1938.

. Filed Jan. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 51'11'01557 5W 7.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 17, i i

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ice WING RADIATOR Igor I. Sikorsky, Long Hill, Conn; assignorto United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. 122,403

1 Claim. (01. 244-57) This invention relates to improvement in heat therefor being schematically shown in elevation. radiating means and has particular reference to Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a improved means for radiating the excess'heat desomewhat modified arrangement of the idea of veloped by a power plant such as an internal the invention and,

5 combustion engine used for the propulsion of Figureufi isa view slmilarto Fig. 3 showing a 5 aircraft. still further modification of the idea of the in- An object of the invention resides in the pro- Ve t vision of improved means for eliminating the ex- Referring to the drawings in detail, the

cess heat of the power plant without increasing eral ill generally indicates the body or fuselage the aerodynamic drag orthe vehicle, such as an f an p n h vin win l2 extending f m airplane, upon which the power plant is mounted. Opposite Sides thereof- D each the Wings A further object resides in the provision of .lHherels mounted n ut ard n n n rally heat radiating means adapted to use aircraft indicated at driving Suitable aeronautical P members supplied for other purposes in order to Pellers c 0 the engines s preferably reduce the weight and simplify the construction closed in a Streamlined cowl or nacelle falledl 15 Q of th h t radiating arrangement. into the contour of the wing, as indicated in Figs. An additional object resides in the provision of 4 and 5 to P v a, minimum air resistance improved air-cooled means for extracting the the n ne heat from the cooling liquid of a liquid-cooled While I e illustrated en ines enclosed in engine utilized for the power plant of a vehicle cowls or nacelles set into the contourof the wing, such as an airplane, it is to be understood that the invention is equal- A still further object resides in the utilization applicable to engines mounted on the fusela e I of t waste t; from the engine for various or mounted entirely within the contour of the purposes such as warming the wings and other Wing Where the size'and shape 01' the Wing D surfaces of the airplane to prevent the formation mit Such a construction; 1 25 of ice and provide thermal conditions favorable Each the engines l4 includes one or more to lift efiigiency warming the cabin for passenger banks or rows of cylinders as indicated at 20,?116 comfort, etc. engine illustrated having twenty cylinders ar- Other objects and advantages will be more parranged r e banks and foul c ban ticularly pointed out hereinafter or will become or each TOW cylinders 18 Provided with suit-- 30 apparent as the description proceeds. able jackets for containing engine cooling In the accompanying drawings in and suitable means; Such as the reference numerals are used to designate similar and and t liquid P p P v d d to parts throughout there is illustrated a suitable Produce-a circulation dsidered t be the preferred fonn f the idea It is the usual practice to provide in combinaof the inventiqn' The drawings. however, are tionwith a liquid-cooled engineof the character. for the purpose of illustration only and are not speclfieda liquid cooling P condensing to be taken as limiting the invention the scope radiator having large number of t n Walled,

mechanical embodiment of what is new con- 0f the cylinders of the e- V 40 of which is to be measured entirely by the scope heat exchanging elementsseparated by narrow 40 l of the appended claim I interstices mounted in the stream of air flow- In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevational mg Past the Vehicle, in Order t a y fl w view of an airplane of a type whi h may be com through the interstices between the heat exchangveniently supplied with the improved heat radiats elements to carry away th at f t quid ing means constructed according to the idea of flowing through the radiafiolfi $11011 a radiator. 45

this invention, a portion of the airplane being while effective for eliminating the excess heat broken away to illustrate the application of the 0f the in e so at an excessively r e xinvention thereto. I pense in air resistance of the vehicle upon which Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion the radiator is mounted. As expressed above, it is of a wing of the airplane illustrated in'Fig. 1 an object of this invention to provide adequate 50 showing in section the application thereto of an engine cooling without adding any appreciable improved heat radiating means constructed acamount to the air resistance of the vehicle. In cording to the idea of this invention. order to carry out this object, portions of the Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-4 of streamlined parts of the airplane itself are made Fig. 2, the power plant and streamlined nacelle use of to perform the function of eliminating 55 excess heat as well as their usual function in connectlon with the support and propulsion of the airplane. i

In accordance with the idea of the invention, the heat exchanging construction may conveniently be disposed, in the case of an airplane, in the leading' edge of the wing adjacent to the engine although other portions of the airplane such as the nacelles, fuselage or hull may be utilized and, if the radiator is disposed in'the wing, it may be located in some portion of the wing other than the leading edge portion. In applying the invention, the thin member constituting the leading edge of the wing, such as the member 28 illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, may be constructed as a liquid receiving tank and may thus constitute the main portion of the radiator without the addition of any other member. 0n the other hand, the leading edge cover may be constructed substantially as at present and an inner member may be-included within the leading edge, to constitute a liquid receiving tank for the heat radiating construction. Regardless of whether the conventional leading edge cover or an inner tank member is used, the tank construction extends for a substantial portion of the length of the wing. 1

Within the tank and preferably supported adjacent to the rear side thereof, there is a perforated tubular member 32 closed at one end and connected at the opposite end with the outlet manifold 22 of the jackets surrounding the cylinder banks 20 by suitable means such as the conduit it. This tubular member is provided with a series of small apertures 36 facing into the tank so that the fluid leaving the engine jackets under pressure will be forced in a fine spray from the perforated tube 32 into the interior of the tank 28. A second tubular member 35 is connected with the tank at the engine end thereof and leads to the intake of the liquid pump 26. The amount of cooling liquid carried by the en gine cooling arrangement is preferabLv such that the liquid level in the tank is always relatively low, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the greater portion of the tank being empty for the production of spray from the tube 32. 'I'hisspray impinging against the inner surface of the tank member 28 transmits its heat to the material. of the tank from which-it is radiated from the exterior surface of the tank member.

After the liquid has been injected as a spray into the tank member 28, the dihedral angle of the wing is depended upon to cause the liquid to flow from the outer portion of the wing tank to the inlet of the tube 36 through which the liquid is led to the pump 26. The tank is preferably provided at spaced intervals along its length with suitable baiiles 34 to prevent surging and splashing of the liquid in the tank during maneuvers of the airplane.

From the above description, it will be observed that suitable means have been provided for eliminating the heat from liquid used to cool an airplane engine without materially increasing the drag or weight of the airplane and that a simplifled construction has been devised utilizing portions of the airplane already provided for other purposes. While only. one cooling unit has been described, it is obvious that a plurality of such units may be used if desired and that ordinarily a unit would be located in each wing to provide a balanced construction.

In the form of the invention illustrated inFig. 4 an additional storage tank I is provided as a container for a portion of the engine cooling liquid. The tank fill has been illustrated as mounted upon the fire wall 62 at the rear of the engine in juxtaposition to the oil reservoir tank M. While the position illustrated would probably provide a convenient location for the cooling liquid tank, the tank may obviously be located in any available space, but wherever located it is obvious that the level of the cooling liquid in the storage tank 40 will ordinarily be above the level of the liquid in the lower portion of the wing radiator tank 28. It, therefore, becomes desirable to provide some adequate means for raising the fluid from the radiator tank to the storage tank. Various arrangements might be provided for accomplishing this object, but a particularly desirable arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. In this arrangement the cooling liquid ejected from the engine cooling jacket under pressure through the conduit 80 is carried to the inlet of a turbine 45 and is led from the outlet of the turbine Gt through a conduit 48 to the open endof the perforated tube 32 in the tank 28. The cooling liquid flowing under pressure from the'engine water jacket to the tube 32 will turn the rotor of the turbine 36. The turbine it is operatively connected by suitablemeans, such as the shaft to, to a pump 52 which is inserted in a conduit leading from the radiator tank 2a to the storage tank it, a conduit section 5 6 leading from the radiator tank to the pump inlet and a conduit section 56 leading from the pump outlet to the interior of the storage tank W. In this form oi the invention the radiator tank at is provided inits lower portion with a sump 53 in the form of a streamlined depression or blister on the bottom surface of the tank. The intake end of the conduit section 5! leads into this sump so that the radiator tank 28 may be maintained at all times in a practically empty-condition, the extra liquid in the system being stored in the storage tank 40.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 an additional radiator 6. is provided totakecareof theextraengine needsin those installations in which a surface radiator of convenient size might not be entirely adequate at all times to satisfactorily cool the engine. Obviously the additional radiator 60 may be of any desired construction and may be rigidly mounted in some portion of the airplane, or may be movably mounted so that it" may be projected out of the airplane. into the airstream when additional cooling is required and retracted into the contour of the airplane when such additional cooling is 1 not required.

'In theillustrative formof the device shown in vided in the under-surface of the wing I! or nacelle id to provide for the entrance of engine cooling air to the radiator 88;" A suitable housing or conduit i4 is provided in the space immediately in front of the radiator CI to receive the air from the aperture 62 and expand the air as it is led to the radiator. A suitable conduit 8 leads from the rear of the radiator to a suitable air vent or outlet not illustrated and, if desired.

. asuitable power operated fan maybe disposed in radiator 6d. The operation of the radiator 60 is desirably controlled by some form of thermostaticallyoperated valve as indicated at 68, many forms of which are well lmown to the art. In the arrangement illustrated, the heat responsive or thermostatic portion of the valve is inserted in the circuit 36 leading from the surface radiator tank 2% to the engine where it will be subject to the temperature of the cooling liquidentering the engine. The valve portion of the thermostatic valve W is disposed between the cooling liquid outlet in the engine and the conduit 3|! leading to the tube 32 and a conduit iii leading to the booster radiator W. This valve operates in such a manner that the flow of cooling liquid to the radiator M is controlled in accordance with the temperature of the cooling liquid entering the engine as determined by the thermostatic portion oi the valve in such a manner that when the liquid is not sufficiently cooled by the surface radiator 28, a portion of the liquid will be sent through the core radiator w to have additional heat removed. From the radiator M, the liquid is returned through a conduit it to the interior of the surface radiator it where it mingles with the liquid supplied to the engine through the conduit 3t thereby lowering the temperature of the cooling liquid supplied to the engine. The opening of the air entrance aperture 62 is preferably controlled by a movable flap or scoop it which may be conveniently hinged at its rearward edge to a conveniently located portion of the housing M. Closure member it may be operated manually or automatically in any desired ner. In the form of the invention illustrated, the flap is connected by means of a link it to the free end of a lever member it which is operated by a hydraulic ram is connected to the conduit it. The

flap operative mechanism is so arranged that when liquid under pressure is admitted to the conduit iii by operation of the valve 68, the mechanism will operate to open the flap M in proportion to the hydraulic pressure existing in the conduit. The flap or closure member It may be urged to its closed position by suitable means such as the tension springs m.

From the above description, it will be' observed that in the moed form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 there is cooling arrangement which will provide adequate cooling for the engine under the most adverse condition and which will provide adequate cooling without additional drag under favorable cooling conditions; that is, when no liquid flows through the rtor hit or the flap it is closed.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to an airplane having wing mounted engines of the tractor type, it is obvious that such a cooling arrangement could with equal facility be applied to a fuselage mounted engine or to pusher engines, if desired.

Obviously the heat imparted to the radiator surface by the hot cooling fluid will maintain the temperature of the surface above freezing and thereby inhibit the formation of ice on such surface even under the most unfavorable weather conditions, and it is among the objects of this invention to locate radiator surfaces in those areas of the wings or other parts of the airplane in which the formation of ice begins, as ice usually forms at first along the leading edges of the wings, a wing radiator of the type illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described above is particularly eflicient as a deicer. Heat from the engine cooling fluid may also be used to warm the passenger cabin. For'instance, in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the air used to cool the radiator Eli may be directed into the cabin and the control of the supply of cooling fluid to the radiator and the opening of the flap it may bev in accordance with passenger comfort requirements rather than engine cooling requirement.

While there has been illustrated and described a suitable mechanical embodiment of what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention and two somewhat modified forms thereof,

it is to lie-understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction so illustrated and described but that such changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as come within the scope of the subjoined claim. I

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows.

What is claimed is:

In an airplane, the combination of aliquid cooled engine having means for circulating cooling liquid about the heat radiating portions thereof, a wing for said airplane, a surface radiator in said wing for cooling said liquid, a core radiator in said wing for cooling said liquid, a movable scoop for regulating the flow of air to said core radiator, temperature responsive means for regulating the flow of liquid to said core radiator, and means responsive to the flow of liquid to said core radiator for controlling said air regulating mes. i ORSKY.

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